Power-driven crimping tool



United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 72-452 7 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A power tool for crimping metal sleeves on wires. The tool consists of a housing in which a main gear is journaled.' Also journaled in the housing is a pinion gear meshing with the main gear and having a shaft projecting so as to be receivable in the chuck of an electric drill. The housing has a lixed arm provided with an upstanding first crimping jaw. A second crimping jaw is pivoted to the fixed arm, facing the first crimping jaw. The pivoted crimping jaw has a camshaped back edge. A pair of link arms are pivoted to the fixed arm and a roller is journaled between the link arms engaging the camshaped back edge of the pivoted crimping jaw. The top portions of the link bars are pivoted to a head member secured on a bolt which is threaded axially through the main gear so as to be moved axially responsive to rotation of the main gear.

This invention relates to power-driven crimping tools, and more particularly to a power tool for crimping metal sleeves on wires or for similar crimping operations.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved power-driven crimping tool which is simple in construction, which is very compact in size, which is easy to use, and which employs a relatively small number of parts.

A kfurther object of the invention is to provide an improved power tool for crimping metal sleeves on wires or for similar crimping operations, the tool being inexpensive to fabricate, being durable in construction, being smooth in operation, and being adapted to be driven by a conventional commonly available power source, such as a conventional electric drill.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of an improved power tool constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal vertical cross-sectional view of the power tool taken substantially on the line 2--2 of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates an improved crimping tool constructed in accordance with the present invention. The tool 11 comprises a main housing '12 provided with an end wall 13 which is secured to the main housing 12 by fastening screws 14, as shown in FIGURE 2. The main housing 12 is formed with the elongated casing portion 15, and rotatablymounted in the main housing at its enlarged front end portion 16 is a main gear 17, the main gear being integrally-formed with opposing collar elements 18, 18 which are rotatably-supported in respective flanged thrust bearing collars 19, 19 provided on opposite sides of the gear. The thrust bearing collars 19, 19 are suitably seated respectively in end wall 13 and in main housing 12 adjacent the casing 15, as shown in FIG- URE 2.

Similarly journaled in the enlarged forward portion 16 of the Ihousing 12 is a pinion gear 20 having opposed shaft portions 21 and 22 rotatably-supported in respective thrust collar bearing elements 23 and 24. As

"ice

shown, the thrust collar bearing element 23 is seated in end wall 13 and the thrust collar bearing element 24 is seated in the transverse wall of enlarged housing portion 16. The shaft element 22 projects externally and is adapted to be engaged in the chuck of a conventional electric drill 25, as shown in dotted view in FIGURE 2, or to be connected to the driving element of any other power source, such as an impact wrench, or the like.

Axially-threaded through main gear 17 is an externallythreaded bolt member 26, the bolt member extending axially in the housing portion 15, as shown in FIGURE 2. Secured on the front end portion of the bolt member externally-adjacent to end wall 13 is a head member 27 formed with a forwardly-projecting lug 28. End wall 13 is integrally-formed with a forwardly-projecting arm 29 formed integrally at its forward end with an upstanding first crimping jaw 30, formed with a crimping recess 31 which faces rearwardly, namely, toward the housing end Wall 13. A second crimping jaw 32 is pivoted to arm 29 facing the iixed crimping jaw 30, as shown in FIGURE 2. The pivoted crimping jaw 32 is provided with depending legs 33 extending adjacent opposite sides of the arm 29 and pivotally-secured thereto by a transverse pivot pin 34. The forwardlyfacing surface of the pivoted crimping jaw 32 is formed with a crimping notch 35 facing an opposing the crimping notch 31.

The back edge of the pivoted crimping jaw 32 is generally cam-shaped, for example, is formed with the convex arcuately-curved cam edge 36. A pair of link bars 37, 37 are loosely-pivoted to aim 29 on opposite sides thereof, as by a transverse pivot pin 38 engaged through pivot slots provided in the bottom ends of link arms 37, 37. The top portions of the link arms 37, 37 extend adjacent opposite sides of the vertical lug 28 and are pivotally-secured thereto by a transverse connecting pin 39. An abutment roller 40 is journaled between the intermediate portions of the link arms 37, 37, for example, by a transverse roller shaft 41. The roller 40* is engageable with the arcuately-curved cam-shaped back edge 36 of the pivoted crimping jaw 32.

The driving power source is preferably of the reversible type. For example, the electric drill 25 should be of a type which can be reversed so that the bolt member 26 may be retracted whenever necessary.

In operation, with the electric drill 25, or other suitable power source drivingly-connected to the shaft element 22, the wire and the sleeve to be crimped thereon are placed between the crimping notches 31, 35 with the pivoted crimping jaw 32 in its rearwardly-rotated position, as shown in FIGURE 2, to allow the sleeve and wire to be inserted. The driving means 25 is then energized, causing pinion gear 20 to rotate main gear 17 and extend the bolt member 26 forwardly, namely, leftwards, as viewed in FIGURE 2, relative to the rotating main gear 17. This moves head member 27 forwardly and rotates the link bars 37, 37 counterclockwise, as viewed in FIGURE 2, causing the abutment roller 40 to similarly rotate the pivoted crimping jaw 32, thereby providing the desired crimping action. After the crimping operation has been thus accomplished, the driving source 25 is reversed, retracting the bolt member 26 and releasing the pivoted crimping jaw 32 to allow the crimped elements to be extracted from between jaws 30 and 32.

The housing 12 may be lled with suitable lubricant, such as oil, or the like, to facilitate easy and smooth operation of the tool. Thus, the housing is sealed by the provision of a resiliently-deformable sealing ring 42 provided between the end wall 13 and the edge of the enlarged housing portion 16, to retain the lubricating oil in the houslng.

While a specific embodiment of an improved power crimping tool has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A power crimping tool comprising a housing, a driving member journaled in said housing, an upstanding xed rst crimping arm rigidly-secured to the housing, a second cirmping arm pivoted to the housing facing said first crimping arm, a bolt member threaded axially through said driving member, link means connecting said bolt member to said housing, abutment means on the link means drivingly-engaging said second crimping arm, and means to rotate said driving member, whereby to move the bolt member axially.

2. The power crimping tool of claim 1, and wherein said abutment means comprises a roller and said pivoted second crimping arm has a cam-shaped back edge engageable by said roller.

3. The power crimping tool of claim 2, and wherein said back edge is convexly arcuately-curved.

4. The power crimping tool of claim 3, and wherein said bolt member is provided with an external head portion and said link means is pivotally-connected to said head portion.

5. The power crimping tool of claim 4, and wherein said means to rotate the driving member comprises a pinion gear journaled in the housing and meshingly-engaged with said driving member and having an external shaft portion.

6. The power crimping tool of claim 5, and wherein said driving member comprises a gear.

7. The power crimping tool of claim 6, and wherein said link means comprises a pair of spaced parallel link arms and said roller is journaled between the intermedi ate portions of said link arms.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 419,573 l/1890 Traber 72-454 2,350,002 5/1944 Van Sittert 72-452 2,942,507 6/ 1960 Fischer 72-452 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner G. P. CROSBY, Assistant Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 

